1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a motorized fan and air damper assembly preferably for use to exhaust air flow out of a building or suck air into a building. More particularly, it relates to such a device in which the motor driving the fan is movable toward and away from the damper.
2. Background Art
In the prior art, it is known to have louvered dampers with pivotally movable blades. These dampers are amounted in the wall of a building to exhaust the air from the interior of the building or to draw air into the interior of the building. Typically, these dampers are air flow operated or have a motorized actuating device to pivot the laterally disposed slats or blades of the damper in order to permit the intake or outflow of air. Typically, out flow air energy (which robs from flow performance) is employed to open the damper. Intake air assemblies must be motorized. When the fan propeller thrust is employed instead of air flow energy, the air moving energy is not reduced for damper operation, thereby significantly improving fan performance and eliminating the need for motorized damper actuation.
My invention comprises a number of improvements in this type of apparatus which enhance its functioning. In particular, I provide a motor and fan assembly mounted on a pivotable frame connected to a damper. The fan acts as a propeller and rotates the motor/fan assembly toward and away from the blades of the damper in accordance with the preferred embodiments. The assembly is so connected and arranged that the thrust of the air flow in response to the rotation of the blades of the fan actuates the blades in the damper to open the damper, and moves the motor and fan assembly.